Cupola-charging apparatus



1955 D. E. GILCHRIST ETAL CUPOLA-CHARGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1954 IN VEN TORS D. E G/LGHR/ST 8 AT TOR/V5 Y Oct. 4, 1955 D. E. GILCHRIST ET AL, 2,719,635

CUPOLA-CHARGING APPARATUS v Filed March 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

IN V EN TORS 0. E. G/LGH/P/ST 8 ATTORNEY United States Patent CUPOLA-CHARGING APPARATUS David E. Gilchrist, Bettendorf, Iowa, and John Verger, Moline, 111., assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,232

12 Claims. (Cl. 214-19) This invention relates to cupola-charging apparatus and more particularly to improvements in the means for controlling the discharging of the contents of the charge-carrying bucket into the cupola.

In the main, there are two basic types of cupolacharging buckets; in one, the bucket is tilted and its contents are discharged into the cupola; in the other, the bucket is of upright design, having an open bottom normally closed by a vertically movable closure member in the form of a cone. The cone control or bottom-dump bucket'has many advantages over the other and it is with a design of the latter type that the present invention is primarily concerned; although, certain features of the invention may be employed with buckets of any type.

The invention has for one of its principal objects the improvement of bucket-control means, primarily in connection with a track means on which a skip is movable from a loading station to a discharging station. It is an important feature of the invention to utilize remotely controlled means, preferably hydraulic means, for dropping the bottom of the bucket and for subsequently returning the bottom to its closed position. The invention features an improved form of skip in which a stop member in the form of a bracket is mounted on the skip rather thanon the cupola as in the past. Other features of the invention reside in means for automatically causing the bucket to dump when it reaches the discharge end of the track and alarm means for indicating when the bottom of the bucket fails to close. Still other important features and objects inherent in and encompassed by the invention will appear as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings, the several figures of which will be described immediately below.

Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a schematic outline of the electrical and hydraulic circuits. r

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, as seen along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, as seen along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the upper end portion of. the track means, showing the relationship thereto of the bucket while the bottom of the bucket is closed.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the parts in the positions that they occupy when the bucket is dumped.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view as seen substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 5.

The over-all structure comprises track means 10' beginning at a loading station 12 and having a discharge end 14 adjacent to an upper portion of a conventional cupola 16, said upper end of the cupola having a'feed opening 18 therein. The track means, as best shown in Fig. 7, comprises rightand left-hand track rails 20 and 22. In the drawing of Fig. 1, the rail 20 has been omitted in the interests of clarity and simplicity, and the rails are 2,719,635 Patented Oct. 4,1955

ICC

shown as being made up of plates 24 and rail members 26, but these details are immaterial and the members illustrated could as well be channels, I-beams, etc.

In any event, the track means 10 serves to carry thereon a skip, designated generally by the numeral 28, for travel between the loading station 12 and the discharge end 14. The skip comprises a main skip body or frame 30, a bucket-supporting arm or part 32, stop means in the form of a fork-like element 34, and an open bottom bucket 36 having its bottom 38 controlled by a closure member in the form "of a cone 40.

The skip has at each side a pair of guides or rollers 42, spaced apart lengthwiseof the track means 10 and riding respectively on the rails 20 and 22 to carry the skip 28 for travel between the loading station 12 and discharge end 14 of the track means. The rollers 42 are journaled respectively at 44 in such manner that there are no crossconnections between opposite sides of the skip, which is important from the standpoint of enabling free suspension of the bucket, so that the bucket may occupy a position such as that represented by dotted lines' in Fig. 1 Transverse rigidity of the skip is achieved by means to be presentlydescribed and by a transverse bar 46, the loca-' tion ofthe bar being such that it does not interfere with the suspension of the bucket in pendulum fashion.

The forward or leading end of the skip body or frame 30 has at each side thereof an upstanding bracket for establishing a pair of pivots 48 coaxial on a transverse axis, which pivots serve to rockably carry thebucketsupporting part or member 32. This part comprises a pair of laterally spaced arms, only one of which need be described, since the two are duplicates of each other- This arm, pivoted intermediate its ends at 48, as already described, carriesrearwardly 'of the pivot a guide means in the form of a roller 50 that normally engages under one of the rail members of the proximate rail of the track means 10. As long as the roller 50 is engaged with the track means just described, the bucket-supporting member 32 occupies the full-line positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5. However, the rails 20 and 22, at the discharge end of the track means 20, are each provided with a gap 52, achieved by omitting the upper portion of the associated rail member. Consequently, the arrangement is such that when the skip reaches the discharge end of the track means, the rollers 50 can escape their associated tracks to enable the member 32 to be moved to its position of Fig. 6 for effecting dumping of the bucket;

However, the dumping of the bucket is not uncontrolled. There is mounted at the discharge end of the track means a pairof transversely spaced apart brackets 54, each of which has a pivot 56 on a transverse axis, for journaling'bucket-control means in the form of a pair of bell cranks 58. Each bell crank has first and second arms 60 and 6 21 The arms 62 of each bellcrank form in effect a'continuation of the proximate rail of the track when the bell crank is in its position of Fig. 5. Therefore, when the rollers 50 on the bucket-supporting member 32 depart from their proximate rails when the skip reaches its discharging position, the arms 62 of the bell cranks 58. Stated otherwise, the arms 62 of the bell cranks 58 fill the gaps 52 in the rails 20 and '22 of the track means 10. I Since the bell cranks are duplicates of each other, only one will be described. This observation applies also to other instances herein in which one or more parts may be utilized even though itappears that only one is illustrated. The bell crank 58 is under control of hydraulic means such as a bi-directional force-transmitting device or cylinder and piston assembly 64. The piston of the device is connected to an arm 66 rockable at 68 on a platform structure-70 proximate to the feed opening -18 of the cupola 16. The upper end of the arm 66 is conthey engage under nested by a link 72 to the upright arm60 of the bell crank 58. The cylinder 64 may be expanded to rock the arm 66 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, which causes movement of the bell crank 58 in a similar direction, thus removing the arm 62 from its position as a continuation of thetrack. The force of the cylinder 64 causes dumping of the bucket, the details ofwhich will be presently described. As the bell crank 58 rocks in the manner just mentioned, the roller 50 follows it to the position of Fig. 6; Therefore, when the cylinder 64 is; contracted, or is operated to exert force in the opposite direction, the arm 62 constitutes a force-transmitting lever for returning the roller and bucket-supporting member 32 to its normal position, whereupon, other things being equal, the skip may return from the discharge end of the track means to the loading station 12.

Confusion as to the structure just described may be avoided by noting that in Figs. 5 and 6 the pivots 56 and 48 are coaxial. The structures in their separated positions may be seen in Fig. l. is important for obtaining the proper mechanical advantages and efficiency during control of the bucket The bucket 36 may be of any conventional construction and is here shown as having the open bottom 38 previouslydescribed as being opened and closed by the cone or closure member 40. The member 40 is suspended by a link 74 from a crossbar 76, the link being pivoted to the crossbar at 78. The crossbar is pivotally suspended at 80 at each of its opposite ends from a pair of links 82, the upper end of each of which is pivotally connected at 84 to the associated bucket-control member or part 32. A cross member 86 traverses the bucket just above the crossbar 76 and is appropriately apertured, as at 88, to loosely receive the associated link 82. The cross member 86 has the form of an inverted V (Fig. 4) to protect the cross member 76. v When the bucket is in its load-carrying condition, the bottom 38 rests on the cone 40 and the bucket is thus supported via the cone from the member 32. This is the position that the bucket will occupy at the loading station 12, as Well as at various positions on the track means, until the bottom 40 is dropped as shown in Fig. 6. Thus, when the bucket reaches its position of Fig. 5, the weight of the bucket and the contents thereof are supported by the part or member 32 via the closed bottom or cone 40. When the hydraulic motor 64 is actuated to rock the bell crank 58 in a clockwise direction, thus freeing the roller 50, the arm 32moves downwardly and the weight of structure just described moves also downwardly.

However, downward travel of the bucket itself is interrupted by stop means in the form of the fork-like element 34 previously described. As illustrated, this structure is rigid on the skip body or frame and projects therefrom to embrace the bucket 36. The upper por tion of the bucket is surrounded by a rim 90 on which is provideda pairof diametrically opposed stop elements 92 engageable with the top edge of the furcations of the member 34 as the bucket travels downwardly. Thus, the downward travel of the bucket is interrupted and the weight of the bucket is sustained by the member 34. However, the bottom is able to move downwardly relative to the bucket to the position of Fig. 6, and the contentsof the bucket may escape. After the bucket is emptied, the hydraulic cylinder 64 is contracted, causing rocking of the bell crank 58 in a counterclockwise direction to return the roller and consequently the member 32 to the position of Fig. 5. During the initial stage of upward movement of the closure member or cone bottom 40-, the cone bottom will close the bottom of the bucket and thereafter will carry the weight of the bucket and lift the bucket clear of the element 34. In the event that all of the contents of the bucket have not escaped and a fragment is caught between thetop of the cone and the bottom of the bucket, the" lifting force on the bucket will be exerted earlier than if such obstacle were not The coaxial arrangement 4 present. If that is the case, the bucket, being lifted earlier, engages, by means of a projecting member 94, with means for efiecting a signal or alarm. The means engaged by the bucket-carried member 94 comprises an arm 96 pivoted at 98 on a bracket 100 on one wall of the cupola in the position shown. The cupola wall has an aperture 102 therein to accommodate the arm 96. The outer end of the arm 96 controls a pair of electrical switches 104 and 106, the latter of which is in the circuit with an appropriate signal or alarm, designated generally by the numeral 108. In the normal or Fig. 5 position of the arm 96, the switch 104 completes the circuit to electrical means, such as a pair of solenoids and 112 l for controlling a valve 114 of the hydraulic system for the motor 64. When the arm 96 is engaged by the bucket-carried member 94, the circuit to the alarm or signal 108 is completed and the circuit to the valve system is broken, for purposes to presently appear.

The hydraulic circuit, represented here schematically, may take any appropriate form suitable for the purposes. In that shown, a pump 116 is supplied with fluid from a reservoir 117 and in turn delivers the fluid to the valve 114 for selective delivery to opposite ends of the motor 64. The solenoids 110 and 112 are selectively controlled by a double-throw switch 118 operative when the skip 28' reaches its discharging position. For example, the switch 118, located adjacent the discharge end 14 of the track means 10, may be engaged by the transverse bar 46 of the skip. Any other appropriate means could be utilized.

The skip is moved to the discharge end 14 of the track means 10 by any suitable means, here in the form of an electric motor-winch 120 on which is wound a cable 122. A sheave 124 journaled in a fixed bracket 126 at the upper end of the track means 10 guides the cable 122 and the cable extends thence, over a plurality of guide sheaves 126 located at the curves in the track means. The free end of the cable may be connected at 128 to the rear portion of the skip 30. The purpose of thesheaves 126 is to enable a straight-line pull on the cable at all times. Of course, as previously suggested, the illustration in this respect is somewhat diagrammatic. In actual construction, appropriate equalizing sheaves could be used. These, however, are of little importance to the present disclosure.

Operation When the skip is at its loading station 12, the bucket is loadedin any conventional manner and the motorwinch 120 is energized to draw the skip to the upper or discharge end of the track means. When the skip attains its discharging position, the switch 118 is closed to ener gize the solenoid 110,- which causes rocking of the valve 114 in one direction to supply fluid under pressure to the left-hand end of the motor 64, following which extension of the motor occurs to rock the bell crank 58 to its position of Fig. 6, thus efiecting dumping of the bucket. The switch 118 is of the time-delay type and after a suitable interval it moves to close the circuit to the solenoid 112, whereupon fluid is supplied to the right-hand end of the motor 64 to cause retraction of the motor, whereupon the bell crank 58 is rocked in its opposite direction, returning to its normal position and carrying the bucket-supporting member 32via the roller 50- along with it. As previously indicated, the presenceof an obstacle between the partly opened cone 40 and the bottom of the bucket 36 will causep'remature lifting of the bucket 36, whereupon the alarm 108 will be energized. At the same time, the switch 104 will break the circuit to the solenoid 1 12 and will stop lifting of the bucket. A workman on platform structure associated with the platform 70 may readily free the offending obstacle so that normal operation of the apparatus is restored, after which the skip is returned to its loading station to begin another cycle.

As already indicated, the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed accomplishes certain objects outlined at the beginning of this disclosure. Other objects not specifically enumerated will undoubtedly occur to those versed in the art, as will many modifications and alterations in the preferred embodiment disclosed, all of which may be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for charging a cupola having a feed opening, comprising: track means having a discharge end adjacent to the cupola feed opening, said track means including a displaceable section at said discharge end selectively movable between a normal position as part of the track means and a displaced position leaving a gap in said track means; controllable means connected to the displaceable section for normally maintaining the normal position of said section and operative selectively to enable said section to move to its displaced position; a skip, including a skip body riding the track means to travel to and from the discharge end of the track means, said skip including thereon a supporting part movable relative thereto and having guide means engaging the track means and the normally positioned track means section to hold said supporting part in an initial position and against movement relative to the skip body; a bucket carried by the skip and including a dumping element movable between a load-carrying position and a dumping position; means connecting the dumping element to the supporting part of the skip to hold said element in its load-carrying position as long as the supporting part guide means engages the track means or the normally positioned track means section; and means connected to and for operating the controllable means to enable movement of the track section to its displaced position and thereby to enable movement of the supporting part relative to the skip body for achieving the dumping position of the bucket dumping element.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the controllable means is operative to forcibly return the displaced track section to its normal position; the supporting part is mounted on the skip body for such movement relative to said skip body that the guide means follows the track means section to its displaced position; and said track means section has means thereon operative in its displaced position to engage the supporting part guide means so that return of the track means section to its normal position by the controllable means forcibly returns the supporting part to its initial position.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, in which: the controllable means includes a two-way fluid motor operative to achieve movement of the track means section back and forth between its normal and displaced positions.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the track means section comprises a bell crank rockable on the track means and including a first arm forming a continuation of the track means and a second arm connected to the controllable means; and the supporting part guide means engages the first arm of said bell crank.

5. Apparatus for charging a cupola having a feed opening, comprising: track means having a discharge end adjacent to the cupola feed opening, said track means including a displaceable section at said discharge end selectively movable between a normal position as part of the track means and a displaced position leaving a gap in said track means; controllable means connected to the displaceable section for normally maintaining the normal position of said section and operative selectively to enable said section to move to its displaced position; a skip, including a skip body riding the track means to travel to and from the discharge end of the track means, said skip including thereon a supporting part movable relative thereto and having guide means engaging the track means and the normally positioned track means section to hold said supporting part in an initial position and against movement relative to the skip body; a bucket carried by the skip and including a dumping element movable between a load-carrying position and a dumping position; means connecting the dumping element to the supporting part of the skip to hold said element in its load-carrying position as long as the supporting part guide means engages the track means or the normally positioned track means section; and means connected to the controllable means and operative automatically in response to the presence ofthe skip at the discharge end of the track means for operating the controllable means to enable. movement of the track section-to its displaced position and thereby to enable movement of the supporting part relative to the skip body for achieving the dumping position of the bucket dumping element.

6. A skip, comprising: a skip, body; an open-bottom bucket; a closure member below and separable'from the bucket and on which the bucket normally rests to effect closing of its bottom; a lifting and lowering member carried by the skip body for lifting and lowering movement relative to said .body in maximum ranges; means connecting the closure member to the lifting and loweringmember for lifting and loweringmovement of the meme bers in unison to lift and lower the bucket; and one-way stop means cooperative between the skip body and the bucket for limiting downward movement of the bucket to a position short of completion, of said lowering range and for sustaining the bucket in said position and free from the closure member so that said closure member may complete said lowering range and thereby open the bucket bottom.

7. The invention defined in claim 6, in which: the stop means includes a fork-like element rigid on and projecting from the skip body to embrace the bucket,

- and a second element fixed to the bucket above the level of the fork-like element and adapted to engage the latter upon lowering movement of the bucket.

8. In a skip of the class described having a bucketsupporting member: a hollow upright bucket open at its top and bottom; a separable closure member fitting over the bucket bottom from below and on which the bucket rests, said closure member being movable downwardly relative to the bucket for uncovering said bucket bottom; a first upright link connected to the closure member and having an upper end terminating within the bucket; a second link having a lower end adjacent to the upper end of the first link and extending therefrom upwardly through the top of the bucket; and pivot means interconnecting the upper end of the first link and the lower end of the second link on horizontal perpendicularly related axes.

9. Apparatus for charging a cupola having a feed opening, comprising: elongated track means having generally horizontal and upright related portions leading to a discharge end and including a pair of elongated rails spaced apart transversely; a skip, including a skip body having opposite sides and guide means at each side respectively riding said rails, said guide means at each side being spaced apart lengthwise of the track means to keep the skip body generally parallel to the track means on both the generally horizontal and upright portions thereof; a depending bucket positioned between the rails ahead of the skip body, said skip including arm means projecting from the skip body between the track rails in the direction lengthwise of the track means and toward said discharge end and above the bucket; means fixing the position of said arm relative to the skip body; means suspending the bucket in pendulum fashion from said arm means including a pivot transverse to the length of the trackmeans; and means cross connecting the opposite sides of the skip body,

tom of the bucket.

10. Apparatus for charging a cupola having a feed opening, comprising: track means having a discharge said means being spaced from the bucket suspending pivot means a distance greater than the distance between said pivot means and the botend adjacent to the feed opening; a skip riding the track means for travel to the feed opening; a bucket-supporting fnember movable on the skip] between raised and lower'ed positions; a bucket closure member suspended from the bucket-supporting niernber for raising and lowering movement therewith; an open=bottorn bucket having its bottoni normally closed by the closure member and restiilg Via said bottom on the closure member to be raised and lowered by the bucket-supporting member; stop fneans engageable with the bucket to interrupt downward bucket movement and to sustain the bucket prior to cornpletion of lowering movement of the bucket-supporting member so that upon continuation of said lowering move ment the closure member continues downwardly relative to the bucket to thereby open the bucket bottoi'r'l; means for raising the bucket-supporting rnernber to first lift the closure member against the bucket bottom and then to lift the closure member and bucket in unison to raise the bucket from said stop means; and signal means operative in response to a condition in which an object lodged between the closure member and the bucket bottom causes premature lifting of the bucket from its stop means. I

11. Apparatus for charging a cupola having a feed opening, cornprisingf track means having a discharge end adjacent to the cupola feed opening, said track means having a gap therein adjacent said discharge end; a skip carried by and for travel on the track means to and from the di'seharge end; a duinpable bucket carried by the skip and selectively ehaiigeable from a load-carrying condition to a dumped condition,- said bucket being biased for movement to its dumping position, and including guide means bearing against the track means and adapted to escape from the track nieans gap for efiec'tihg' dumping of the Bucket; ineans located at the discharge end of the track means and including a trip member having a normal position closing the track means gap to prevent escape of the bucket uide means; said trip member being rnovable selectively away from said norrnal posi tion for eausing dumping of the bucket and for return to its normal position to re-close the track means gap; and means for efiecting movement of the trip member selectively awa from and back to its normal position;

12; The invention defined in claim 11, in which: the guide means on the bucket, when released from the track means gap, following the trip member to remain engaged with said trip member so that when the trip member is returned to its nornial position to close the track means gap, it carries the guide means on the bucket therewith for forcibly restoring the bucket to its load carrying condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,208 Vaughen et a1. Aug. 23, 1904 

